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ABSTRACT: The use of commercially available injection moulding simulation softwares allows us to
predict the process response to the operating conditions defined. These codes can be used to define better
injection conditions to use in specific situations, i.e., to optimize the process. Generally, this is an iterative
procedure requiring the analysis of multiple outputs (pressures, temperatures, shear stresses profiles)
supported by pre-established decision criteria. Most of the cases the taken options may lead to opposed
results. In this sense the development of optimization methodologies are of paramount importance in order to
facilitate the definition of processing windows in injection moulding. In this work the results obtained by the
use of an automatic optimization methodology based on Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (EMOA),
where an EMOA is linked to an injection moulding simulation code (CMOLD), will be assessed
experimentally. For that purpose the processing conditions will be optimized for a desired process
performance, where criteria, such as the evolution of the pressure inside the cavity, the maximum pressure
level, the pressure work and the shrinkage, are taken into account. Some of the computational results
obtained, selected from the set of optimized and non-optimized solutions, will be compared with the
corresponding experimental results in order to validate the optimization approach used.
Key words: Injection Moulding, Multi-Objective Optimization, Evolutionary Algorithms
1 INTRODUCTION
The injection moulding technique is a high
throughput process adequate to manufacture
thermoplastic components of complex geometry
with tight dimensional tolerances. Injection
moulding of polymeric materials is an intricate
dynamic and transient process, involving convoluted
melting-flow-pressure-solidification phases and a
complex material behaviour strongly affecting the
quality and properties of the final moulded
component.
In injection moulding, the thermomechanical
environment imposed to the polymer melt is
controlled by: i) the adjustment of operative
processing variables ii) the selection of process
parameters.
This thermomechanical conditions control the
microstructure and morphology of the final moulded
Criteria 2
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Criteria 1
Fig. 1. Pareto frontier
4 EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION
The proposed optimization methodology was used to
set the processing conditions of the moulding
(Figure 2) in polystyrene (STYRON 678E). The
moulding was injected in a fan gate. The relevant
polymer properties used for the flow simulations
were obtained from the software (CMOLD)
database.
The mesh has 408 triangular elements. The
simulations considered the mould filling and holding
(post-filling) stages. A node near the P1 position,
pressure sensor position (see figure 2) was selected
as a reference point for this study. The processing
variables to optimise and allowed to varied in the
simulations in following intervals were: injection
time, tinj [0.5; 3] s, melt temperature, Tinj [180;
280] C, mould temperature, Tw [30; 70] C,
absolute holding pressure, Ph [7; 38] % of
3.5
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Initial Population
Final Population
REFERENCES
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6 CONCLUSIONS
An injection moulding finite-element based
computational code was linked to a multi-objective
evolutionary algorithm allowing the optimization of
the process for obtaining high quality parts. This
methodology is sensitive to the used optimization
criteria, and the obtained results have physical
meaning. The experimental results produced
validated the proposed optimization methodology.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS